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When a Man Loves
(1911) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by D.W. Griffith
Cast: Dell Henderson [Mr. Bach, the rich bachelor], Mary Pickford [Tessie], Charles West [John Watson, Tessie’s suitor], George Nichols [Tessie’s father], Verner Clarges [the preacher], Grace Henderson [the preacher’s companion], Guy Hedlund [a farmhand], [?] Edward Dillon?, [?] Robert Harron?, [?] Wilfred Lucas?
Biograph Company production; distributed by Biograph Company. / Scenario by [?] George Terwilliger? / Released 5 January 1911. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Mr. Bach, now a wealthy man, visits the scenes of his boyhood days in his auto and meets farmer Brown, his boyhood friend. Brown is the father of a very pretty daughter named Tessie. Bach becomes deeply smitten with the artless little country lass, and secretly hopes to win her. Tessie, however, has a host of admirers in the little village, the favored one being John Watson. John is a bit superior to the other fellows of the neighborhood. He reads novels and has a good line of persuasive talk with which to embellish his suit for Tessie’s heart, and he is successful, to the violent perturbation of the other swains. Now Tessie is of course pleased with the notice bestowed on her by the rich bachelor, but her heart is true to John. A few days later Mr. Bach, lovelorn, revisits the homestead. His presence stirs John up to deeds of determination. In this frame of mind he seeks Tessie and plans to elope that very night. He will be beneath her window with a ladder. Mr. Bach, to remain at the homestead, uses the subterfuge that his auto has become disabled and would like to spend the night with his old friend Brown. Brown is delighted for he has discerned the attention Tessie has exerted. To accommodate Mr. Bach, Tessie is put out of her own room by her father and the room given to Mr. Bach. Oh! Horror! This spoils the plans for the elopement. Curse the luck! Poor Tessie is locked in the adjoining room out of reach of John. John arrives beneath the window, and calls “Sweetheart, I am waiting,” repeating it a number of times. He cannot understand why he does not get an answer, so throws several pebbles through the window. At length, growing impatient, he places the ladder and climbs into the window, encountering the astounded Mr. Bach, who, mistaking him for one of those sinister intruders, a burglar, is about to throw him out, when he explains the situation. This is very odious news to Bach, but as “all the world loves a lover,” his heart softens and he consents to aid the couple in their flight. In other words, he leads the wedding march by piling them into his auto and speeding to the nearest minister’s abode. Brown soon learns of his daughter’s escape from the room in which he locked her, and fearing the very thing that is happening, starts out in pursuit in a buggy, arriving at the minister’s just too late to forbid the bands, but in time to give his parental blessing to Mr. and Mrs. John Watson.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 24 March 2024.
References: Barry-Griffith p. 42; Eyman-Pickford p. 325; Spehr-American p. 4.
Home video: DVD.
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